KR20220089787A - Camera for Vehicle And Parking Assistance Apparatus Having the Same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a vehicle camera and a parking assistance device having the same.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of lenses are assembled to a lens barrel (lens barrel) lens module (lens module); a circuit board including an image sensor configured to convert light incident through the lens module into an electrical signal; The lens module is assembled in the front, the front housing configured to be assembled to the circuit board in the rear (front housing); a rear housing coupled to the rear of the front housing and configured to surround the circuit board; an outer cover configured as a hollow type to surround at least a portion of the lens module, and having at least one infrared passing portion configured to allow infrared rays to pass therethrough; and a depth camera module included in the outer cover, assembled in front of the front housing and configured to take a depth map for detecting obstacles around the vehicle using an infrared passing part. A vehicle camera is provided.

Description

Camera for Vehicle And Parking Assistance Apparatus Having the Same

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle camera and a parking assistance device having the same. More specifically, it relates to a vehicle camera using a depth camera and a parking assist device having the same.

The content described in this section merely provides background information for the present disclosure and does not constitute the prior art.

In order to increase the safety and convenience of a driver using a vehicle, the development of a technology for grafting various sensors and electronic devices to a vehicle is accelerating. Accordingly, autonomous driving in which a vehicle can travel on a road by itself without the intervention of a driver has become possible.

Meanwhile, interest in self-parking technology that automatically performs parking, which is difficult for many drivers, among autonomous vehicles, is also increasing. In general, in order to support automatic parking, an image of a camera or an ultrasonic wave sensor is used to search for a parking space around the vehicle, and the searched parking space is guided to the driver.

In the case of using an ultrasonic sensor, a method of measuring the inter-vehicle distance from the round-trip time it takes for the emitted ultrasonic waves to collide with an object and return again is used. A method of recognizing a parking space based on a surround view is used.

However, in the case of automatic parking using ultrasonic waves, the inter-vehicle distance can be easily measured, but it is difficult to accurately recognize a lane, and thus correct parking is difficult. In addition, even in the case of automatic parking using the image of the camera, there is a problem in that it is difficult to detect if there is a 3D obstacle in the parking space because the space is detected based on 2D (Dimension).

Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to solve these problems, and while using the camera mounting space of an existing vehicle as it is, using a depth camera to recognize a parking space as well as more accurately detect an obstacle in a parking space, and a parking having the same Its main purpose is to provide an auxiliary device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure for achieving this object, a plurality of lenses are assembled to a lens barrel (lens barrel) lens module (lens module); a circuit board including an image sensor configured to convert light incident through the lens module into an electrical signal; a front housing configured such that the lens module is assembled in the front and the circuit board is assembled in the rear; a rear housing coupled to the rear of the front housing and configured to surround the circuit board; an outer cover configured as a hollow type to surround at least a portion of the lens module and having at least one infrared passing portion configured to allow infrared rays to pass therethrough; and a depth camera module included in the outer cover, assembled in front of the front housing and configured to take a depth map for detecting obstacles around the vehicle using the infrared passing part. It provides a vehicle camera, characterized in that it comprises.

In addition, there is provided a vehicle in which the vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a side mirror, a radiator grill, and a trunk of the vehicle.

In addition, in the parking assist device using a vehicle camera, a plurality of wide-angle cameras (wide angle camera) mounted on the vehicle configured to photograph a space around the vehicle; a plurality of depth cameras mounted on the vehicle and configured to capture depth images around the vehicle; a parking space detection unit for detecting a parking space around the vehicle by identifying a parking line based on a surround view image obtained from the plurality of wide-angle cameras; an obstacle detection unit configured to detect an obstacle around the vehicle based on the depth image in the parking space obtained from the plurality of depth cameras; and a parking availability determining unit that determines whether the vehicle can be parked based on the size of the parking space and whether obstacles are detected.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to assist parking by not only recognizing a parking space but also more accurately detecting obstacles in the parking space while utilizing the camera mounting space of the existing vehicle as it is.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
2 is a combined perspective view of a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
4 is a view illustrating an example in which a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a side mirror.
5 is a view illustrating an example in which a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a radiator grill.
6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted in a trunk.
7 is a block diagram of a parking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even though they are indicated in different drawings. In addition, in describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In describing the components of the embodiment according to the present disclosure, reference numerals such as first, second, i), ii), a), b) may be used. These signs are only for distinguishing the elements from other elements, and the essence, order, or order of the elements are not limited by the signs. In the specification, when a part 'includes' or 'includes' a certain element, it means that other elements may be further included, rather than excluding other elements, unless explicitly stated otherwise. .

1 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

2 is a combined perspective view of a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

1 to 3 , a vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a lens module 110 , a circuit board 180 , and a front housing 160 . ), a rear housing (rear housing, 190), an outer cover (outer cover, 100), a depth camera module (depth camera module, 140), a connector (connector, 150), a first waterproof member (first waterproof member, 120) and Includes all or part of the second waterproof member (second waterproof member, 130).

The lens module 110 refers to a plurality of lenses (lens, not shown) assembled in a lens barrel (not shown). In this case, the plurality of lenses may be pre-assembled in the lens barrel. In addition, the plurality of lenses included in the lens module 110 may be formed of a wide angle lens having an angle of view of 60° or more.

Each of the plurality of lenses may include a first lens group (not shown) disposed at the front and a second lens group (not shown) disposed at the rear, in this case, the first lens group It is preferable that the optical axis of the second lens group coincide with each other. On the other hand, here, the front refers to the X-axis direction in FIG. 1, and the rear refers to the opposite direction to the front, and the same applies to the following.

When the plurality of lenses includes the first lens group and the second lens group, for example, by moving the first lens group with respect to the second lens group, the angle of view of the camera can be changed. However, the plurality of lenses does not necessarily include the first lens group and the second lens group.

The circuit board 180 includes an image sensor 170 . The image sensor 170 may be mounted on the circuit board 180 , but may be disposed independently of the circuit board 180 and may be circuitly connected thereto. The image sensor 170 is configured to convert light incident through the lens module 110 into an electrical signal. On the other hand, the circuit board 180 may be configured to have a plurality of layers, and various data lines and via holes for interlayer connection in an area where the image sensor 170 is mounted. city) can be formed.

The front housing 160 is configured such that the lens module 110 is assembled at the front, and the circuit board 180 is assembled at the rear. In order to assemble the lens module 110 in front of the front housing 160 , a male screw is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lens module 110 , and a female screw is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the front housing 160 . It may be screwed together, but the coupling method is not necessarily limited thereto.

The rear housing 190 is coupled to the rear of the front housing 160 and is configured to surround the circuit board 180 , thereby protecting the circuit board 180 and internal components. In addition, the rear housing 190 may include at least one input-output terminal (input-output terminal, 300), may be supplied with power using the input/output terminal 300, and may transmit and receive various electrical signals.

The outer cover 100 is configured as a hollow type to surround at least a portion of the lens module 110 , and includes at least one infrared passing portion 105 configured to allow infrared rays to pass therethrough. As the outer cover 100 is configured in a hollow shape, the lens module 110 may photograph the front, and a depth camera module 140 to be described later may also be included therein.

In addition, the outer cover 100 may be coupled to the front of the front housing (160). Therefore, when viewed in the direction from the front to the rear, the outer cover 100, the front housing 160, and the rear housing 190 may be coupled in order.

When the outer cover 100, the front housing 160, and the rear housing 190 are made of a plastic material, the front housing 160 and the rear housing 190 and the front housing 160 and the outer cover 100 may be fusion-bonded using ultrasonic waves or lasers. On the other hand, when the outer cover 100, the front housing 160 and the rear housing 190 are made of a metal material, the front housing 160 and the rear housing 190 and the front housing 160 and the outer cover ( 100) may be welded using a laser. Referring to FIG. 3 , the portion where the above coupling is made may be a surface in which the front housing 160 and the rear housing 190 contact each other, and a surface in which the front housing 160 and the outer cover 100 contact each other.

On the other hand, when the outer cover 100 is viewed from the front, it has the shape of a garden, and thus, the outer cover 100 can be mounted on a portion where a camera of an existing vehicle is mounted. However, the front shape of the outer cover 100 does not necessarily have to be a round shape, and may be deformed according to a portion to be mounted on a vehicle.

The depth camera module 140 is included in the outer cover 100, is assembled in front of the front housing 160, and uses the infrared passing unit 105 to detect obstacles around the vehicle (depth map) is configured to photograph. Therefore, the depth camera module 140 is preferably disposed to face forward.

The depth camera module 140 may be configured as, for example, a Time of Flight (TOF) camera. A TOF camera can measure the distance to an object by illuminating an object to be photographed with infrared rays, and calculating the time it takes to receive infrared rays reflected off the object and return. Since the depth camera module 140 takes a depth image using infrared rays, unlike a general camera, it is possible to detect obstacles at night, and compared to the case of detecting obstacles using ultrasonic waves, the obstacle detection distance is much longer, The size and position of obstacles can be detected more accurately.

When the depth camera module 140 is configured as a TOF camera, the depth camera module 140 may include an infrared lighting unit 142 and an infrared receiving unit 144 .

The infrared illuminator 142 is configured to irradiate infrared rays. At this time, infrared irradiation may be made toward the front. In addition, the infrared illuminator 142 may be formed of an infrared LED (Light Emitting Diode), but is not necessarily limited thereto as long as infrared radiation is possible. Meanwhile, the infrared ray irradiated from the infrared illuminator 142 is preferably configured to have a wavelength of about 940 nm in order to reduce interference from sunlight, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

The infrared light receiving unit 144 is configured to receive the infrared ray irradiated from the infrared illuminator 142 is reflected back by hitting an object. The infrared light receiving unit 144 may generate an electrical signal when receiving infrared rays, and accordingly, it is possible to measure the time until the infrared rays are irradiated from the infrared lighting unit 142 and return to the infrared light receiving unit 144 .

By using the infrared illuminator 142 and the infrared light receiver 144 , the depth image obtained from the depth camera module 140 may represent an image containing distance information from the photographed object surface. For example, a surface close to the depth camera module 140 is expressed in a bright color, and a surface far from the depth camera module 140 is expressed in a dark color, thereby indicating distance information. Accordingly, it is possible to easily detect obstacles around the vehicle and the distance to the obstacles using the depth camera module 140 .

On the other hand, it is preferable that the infrared passage unit 105 provided in the outer cover 100 is disposed in front of the infrared lighting unit 142 and the infrared light receiving unit 144 of the depth camera module 140 . At this time, as shown in FIG. 1 , the infrared passing part 105 may be configured in one or two pieces in the same shape as a through hole.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the infrared ray passing unit 105 is composed of two, each infrared ray passing unit 105 is preferably arranged to correspond to the position of the infrared illuminator 142 and the infrared light receiving unit 144. do. Accordingly, the depth camera module 140 may radiate and receive infrared rays using the infrared ray passing unit 105 inside the outer cover 100 .

The connector 150 electrically connects the depth camera module 140 and the circuit board 180 , and is configured to fix the position of the depth camera module 140 . The depth image captured by the depth camera module 140 using the connector 150 may be transmitted to the circuit board 180 , and the depth camera module 140 may be moved inside the outer cover 100 . can be prevented

The first waterproof member 120 is configured to be watertight between the space in which the lens module 110 and the outer cover 100 are assembled. The second waterproof member 130 is configured such that a space in which the lens module 110 and the front housing 160 are assembled is watertight.

The first waterproof member 120 is compressed when the lens module 110 and the outer cover 100 are assembled, and the second waterproof member 130 is compressed when the lens module 110 and the front housing 160 are assembled. do. The first waterproof member 120 and the second waterproof member 130 are compressed at the same time as assembly, so that the space to be assembled is watertight, that is, it is possible to prevent fluid from leaking or leaking. Meanwhile, the first waterproof member 120 and the second waterproof member 130 may be, for example, an O-ring or a gasket, but are not necessarily limited thereto.

The vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the above configuration, so that the wide-angle camera and the depth camera are integrally configured to form one module. Therefore, the vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can not only detect a parking space around the vehicle using a wide-angle camera, but also use a depth camera to more accurately detect obstacles in the space around the vehicle. have. Hereinafter, an example in which the vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle will be described.

4 is a view illustrating an example in which a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a side mirror.

5 is a view illustrating an example in which a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a radiator grill.

6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a vehicle camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted in a trunk.

은 약 45°가 될 수 있으며, 수직화각(vertical angle of view)

은 130°~ 160°가 될 수 있다. Referring to FIG. 4 , the vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be mounted under a side mirror 400 of the vehicle. At this time, the beam angle of the vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure

can be about 45°, the vertical angle of view

can be between 130° and 160°.

은 약 75°가 될 수 있으며, 수직화각

은 138°~ 160°가 될 수 있다.Referring to FIG. 5 , the vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be mounted in an empty space of a radiator grill 500 of the vehicle. At this time, the orientation angle of the vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure

can be about 75°, and the vertical angle of view

can be 138° to 160°.

은 약 75°가 될 수 있으며, 수직화각

은 138°~ 160°가 될 수 있다.Referring to FIG. 6 , the vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be mounted on a trunk 600 of the vehicle. At this time, the orientation angle of the vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure

can be about 75°, and the vertical angle of view

can be 138° to 160°.

As described above, the vehicle camera 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be mounted as it is without modifying a portion where the wide-angle camera is disposed in an existing vehicle, so that additional costs can be avoided.

7 is a block diagram of a parking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the parking assist device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a wide angle camera 700 , a depth camera 710 , a surround view generation unit 720 , A depth map generation unit 730, a parking space detection unit 740, an obstacle detection unit 750, a parking availability determining unit 760, a display All or part of a display unit 770 and an alarm unit 780 are included.

The wide-angle camera 700 is mounted on a vehicle and configured to photograph a space around the vehicle. A plurality of wide-angle cameras 700 may be configured to be mounted on a vehicle, and a plurality of wide-angle cameras 700 may capture a space around the vehicle, thereby detecting a parking space.

The wide-angle camera 700 may include a lens module (110 in FIG. 1) and a circuit board (180 in FIG. 1), and the lens module includes a plurality of lenses (lens, not shown) in a lens barrel. (lens barrel, not shown) refers to assembly. Meanwhile, the circuit board may include an image sensor ( 170 of FIG. 1 ) configured to convert light incident through the lens module into an electrical signal.

The depth camera 710 is mounted on the vehicle and is configured to take a depth image around the vehicle. A plurality of depth cameras 710 may be configured to be mounted on a vehicle, and the plurality of depth cameras 710 may detect an obstacle by photographing a depth image around the vehicle.

The depth camera 710 may be configured as a TOF (Time of Flight) camera, for example, by illuminating an infrared ray on an object to be photographed, and calculating the time it takes to receive infrared ray reflected back from the object and return. , can measure the distance to an object. Since the depth camera 710 takes a depth image using infrared rays, unlike a general camera, it is possible to detect an obstacle even at night, and compared to the case of detecting an obstacle using an ultrasonic wave, the obstacle detection distance is much longer, and the obstacle The size and position of the can be detected more accurately.

When the depth camera 710 is configured as a TOF camera, the depth camera 710 may include an infrared lighting unit 142 in FIG. 1 and an infrared receiving unit 144 in FIG. 1 .

The infrared illuminator 142 is configured to irradiate infrared rays. At this time, infrared irradiation may be made toward the front. The infrared illuminator 142 may be formed of an infrared LED (Light Emitting Diode), but is not limited thereto as long as infrared radiation is possible. Meanwhile, the infrared ray irradiated from the infrared illuminator 142 is preferably configured to have a wavelength of about 940 nm in order to reduce interference from sunlight, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

The infrared light receiving unit 144 is configured to receive the infrared ray irradiated from the infrared illuminator 142 is reflected back by hitting an object. The infrared light receiving unit 144 may generate an electrical signal when receiving infrared rays, and accordingly, it is possible to measure the time until the infrared rays are irradiated from the infrared lighting unit 142 and return to the infrared light receiving unit 144 .

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 2 , the depth camera 710 and the wide-angle camera 700 may be integrally configured to form one module. In this case, the module including the depth camera 710 and the wide-angle camera 700 may be mounted on, for example, a side mirror of a vehicle, a radiator grill, a trunk, and the like. In this case, it is preferable that the module including the depth camera 710 and the wide-angle camera 700 is configured to be mounted as it is in a portion where the camera of the existing vehicle is mounted.

The surround view generator 720 generates a surround view image by synthesizing and signal processing images captured by the plurality of wide-angle cameras 700 . The plurality of wide-angle cameras 700 may each be mounted on a vehicle's side mirror, radiator grille, trunk, etc. In this case, the surround view image may be an image corresponding to a virtual viewpoint, for example, a viewpoint viewing the vehicle from above. .

The depth image generator 730 generates a depth image, which is a 3D stereoscopic image, by using the image captured by the depth camera 710 . The depth image may represent an image containing distance information from the photographed object surface. For example, the distance information may be represented by expressing a surface close to the depth camera 710 with a bright color and a surface far from the depth camera 710 with a dark color. Accordingly, it is possible to easily detect obstacles around the vehicle and the distance to the obstacles using the depth camera 710 . In addition, by using the depth camera 710, not only can an obstacle be detected, but also the presence or absence of a sink hole can be detected.

The parking space detection unit 740 detects a parking space around the vehicle by identifying a parking line based on the surround view image obtained from the plurality of wide-angle cameras 700 . Here, the parking space means a rectangular space existing on the ground, and the rectangular space means a space inside the parking line. In this case, the rectangular space may be detected based on four points at which parking lines are identified in the surround view image and the identified parking lines intersect.

For detection of a parking space, the parking space detection unit 740 may include a contour extraction unit 742 and a parking line detection unit 744 .

In addition, although not shown in FIG. 7 , the parking space detection unit 740 includes a distortion correction unit (not shown) for correcting a curve that may be distorted in the process of converting a 3D stereoscopic image into a 2D image into a straight line. city) may be further included.

The outline extraction unit 742 extracts the outline for the parking space. For example, from the image corrected by the distortion correction unit, contours for the vehicle and the parking line may be extracted using, for example, a Canny edge detection method.

The parking line identification unit 744 identifies the parking line by applying, for example, Hough transform to the inside of the outline extracted by the outline extraction unit 742 . The Hough transform is one of the algorithms for finding a straight line in a video image, and by using it, a straight line inside the outline can be extracted, and the extracted straight line can be identified as a parking line.

The obstacle detecting unit 750 detects obstacles around the vehicle based on the depth image in the parking space obtained from the plurality of depth cameras 710 . That is, if there is an obstacle inside the parking space detected by the parking space detection unit 740, the color of the part with the obstacle in the depth image is displayed differently from the surroundings, and the obstacle detecting unit 750 is an obstacle in the parking space based on this. presence can be detected. Also, the obstacle detecting unit 750 may detect the presence or absence of a sink hole in the same manner as above.

For obstacle detection, the obstacle detection unit 750 may include a histogram calculation unit 752 and a pixel comparison unit 754 .

The histogram calculation unit 752 calculates a histogram of the depth image in the parking space. For example, the histogram calculation unit 752 may divide the parking space at regular intervals to calculate a histogram of pixel values for each divided area, and calculate how much the histogram differs between the divided areas. Based on the difference in the histogram, the obstacle detecting unit 750 may detect an obstacle existing in the parking space.

The pixel comparison unit 754 compares the similarity between neighboring pixels by using vertical and horizontal scanning of the depth image in the parking space. For example, when there is an obstacle in the depth image, a large difference appears between the pixels in the area with the obstacle compared with the neighboring pixels, and this large difference can be recognized by scanning the pixel values vertically and horizontally. Accordingly, the obstacle detecting unit 750 may detect an obstacle in the parking space based on the similarity between neighboring pixels.

The parking possibility determination unit 760 determines whether the vehicle can be parked based on the size of the parking space and whether obstacles are detected.

The parking possibility determination unit 760 first determines whether the size of the parking space detected by the parking space detection unit 740 is the size in which the vehicle can be parked. Accordingly, the parking possibility determination unit 760 may store information about the size of the vehicle the driver is riding in, and accordingly, the rectangular parking space detected by the parking space detection unit 740 is sufficiently large compared to the size of the vehicle. If it is not large, it may be determined that parking is impossible.

In addition, the parking possibility determination unit 760 may determine whether the detected parking space is a parking area according to whether the obstacle detection unit 750 detects an obstacle. For example, even when the size of the parking space is sufficiently large compared to the size of the vehicle to be parked, if there is an obstacle or a sink hole in the parking space, parking may not be possible. It can be considered as an impossible area.

However, even when the obstacle and/or the sink hole detected by the obstacle detection unit 750 is detected, the parking possibility determination unit 760 may determine that the position of the obstacle and/or the sink hole is, for example, at the edge of the parking space. When a sufficient parking space is secured despite the presence of an obstacle and/or a sinkhole, it may be determined that the parking area is available. In this case, the position of the obstacle and/or the sinkhole may be determined based on the calculation and comparison of the histogram calculation unit 752 and the pixel comparison unit 754 .

The display unit 770 is provided inside the vehicle, and when the parking possibility determination unit 760 determines that parking is possible, the display unit 770 is configured to display a parking possibility to the driver. The display unit 770 may be provided in a vehicle cluster, a center fascia, or the like, but is not necessarily limited to the above position as long as the driver can see the parking available indication.

The alarm unit 780 is provided inside the vehicle, and when the parking possibility determination unit 760 determines that parking is possible, it is configured to sound a parking available notification to the driver.

The parking assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may assist parking by using a vehicle camera and including the above configuration to more accurately detect obstacles in a parking space as well as recognize a parking space.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of this embodiment, and a person skilled in the art to which this embodiment belongs may make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. Accordingly, the present embodiments are intended to explain rather than limit the technical spirit of the present embodiment, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present embodiment is not limited by these embodiments. The protection scope of this embodiment should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present embodiment.

10: vehicle camera 100: outer cover
105: infrared passing unit 110: lens module
120: first waterproof member 130: second waterproof member
140: depth camera module 142: infrared lighting unit
144: infrared light receiving unit 150: connector
160: front housing 170: image sensor
180: circuit board 190: rear housing
300: input/output terminal 400: side mirror
500: radiator grill 600: trunk
700: wide-angle camera 710: depth camera
720: surround view generator 730: depth image generator
740: parking space detection unit 742: contour extraction unit
744: parking line identification unit 750: obstacle detection unit
752: histogram calculation unit 754: pixel comparison unit
760: parking possibility determination unit 770: display unit
780: alarm unit

Claims (16)

a lens module in which a plurality of lenses are assembled to a lens barrel;
a circuit board including an image sensor configured to convert light incident through the lens module into an electrical signal;
a front housing configured such that the lens module is assembled in the front and the circuit board is assembled in the rear;
a rear housing coupled to the rear of the front housing and configured to surround the circuit board;
an outer cover configured as a hollow type to surround at least a portion of the lens module and having at least one infrared passing portion configured to allow infrared rays to pass therethrough; and
A depth camera module included in the outer cover, assembled in front of the front housing and configured to take a depth map for detecting obstacles around a vehicle using the infrared passing part.
A vehicle camera comprising a. The method of claim 1,
Doedoe electrically connecting the depth camera module and the circuit board, the vehicle camera characterized in that it further comprises a connector (connector) configured to fix the position of the depth camera module. The method of claim 1,
The vehicle camera, characterized in that it further comprises a first waterproof member (first waterproof member) configured to be watertight between the space in which the lens module and the outer cover are assembled. The method of claim 1,
Vehicle camera, characterized in that it further comprises a second waterproof member (second waterproof member) configured to be watertight (watertight) between the space in which the lens module and the front housing are assembled. The method of claim 1,
The depth camera module,
an infrared lighting unit configured to irradiate infrared; and
A vehicle camera, comprising: an infrared receiving unit configured to receive infrared rays that are reflected by irradiated infrared rays hitting an object and returned. 6. The method of claim 5,
The infrared passing part is composed of two,
Each of the infrared passing units is a vehicle camera, characterized in that it is arranged to correspond to the position of the infrared illuminator and the infrared light receiving unit. The method of claim 1,
The front housing, the rear housing and the outer cover are made of a plastic material,
The vehicle camera, characterized in that the front housing and the rear housing, and the front housing and the outer cover are fusion-bonded using an ultrasonic wave or a laser. The method of claim 1,
The front housing, the rear housing and the outer cover are made of a metal material,
The vehicle camera, characterized in that the front housing and the rear housing, and the front housing and the outer cover are welded (welding) using a laser. The vehicle camera according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle is mounted on the side mirror (side mirror), the radiator grill (radiator grill) and the trunk (trunk) of the vehicle. In the parking assist device using a vehicle camera,
a plurality of wide angle cameras mounted on the vehicle and configured to photograph a space around the vehicle;
a plurality of depth cameras mounted on the vehicle and configured to capture depth images around the vehicle;
a parking space detection unit for detecting a parking space around the vehicle by identifying a parking line based on a surround view image obtained from the plurality of wide-angle cameras;
an obstacle detection unit configured to detect an obstacle around the vehicle based on the depth image in the parking space obtained from the plurality of depth cameras; and
A parking availability determining unit that determines whether the vehicle can be parked based on the size of the parking space and whether obstacles are detected
A parking assist device comprising a. 11. The method of claim 10,
The parking space detection unit,
a contour extraction unit for extracting a contour for the parking space; and
A parking line detection unit that identifies a parking line by applying a Hough transform to the inside of the outline extracted by the outline extraction unit
A parking assist device comprising a. 11. The method of claim 10,
The parking space detection unit,
A parking assist device, characterized in that it detects a rectangle based on four points where the identified parking lines intersect as a parking space. 11. The method of claim 10,
The obstacle detection unit,
and a histogram calculation unit for calculating a histogram for the depth image in the parking space,
Parking assistance device, characterized in that for detecting an obstacle in the parking space based on the histogram calculated by the histogram calculation unit. 11. The method of claim 10,
The obstacle detection unit,
A pixel comparison unit for calculating the similarity between neighboring pixels by using vertical and horizontal scanning of the depth image in the parking space,
A parking assist device, characterized in that it detects an obstacle in the parking space based on the similarity between neighboring pixels. 11. The method of claim 10,
a display unit provided inside the vehicle and configured to display a parking available display to the driver when the parking possibility determination unit determines that parking is possible; and
An alarm unit provided inside the vehicle and configured to sound a parking available alarm to the driver when the parking possibility determination unit determines that parking is possible
Parking assist device, characterized in that it further comprises. 11. The method of claim 10,
The wide-angle camera and the depth camera are integrally configured to form a single module (module).

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